How to Overcome Waswasa/OCD in Worship

[Hamza Asadullah]

How to overcome Waswasa/OCD (Shaythans whispers) in worship



Bismillahirahmaniraheem


Waswas can become a very serious issue and it may take away the pleasure in worship and instead replace it with constant worry whether a person did Wudu or Salaah properly. It can become a very serious issue as a person will feel overwhelmed by paranoia with regards to their worship and will always feel a sense of inadequacy.

In worship terms Waswasa means always have doubts about ones worship and not be sure of anything relating to worship as there is always a doubt there and this serious disease and illness is caused by shaythan.


What are some of the symptoms of Waswasa?

-You pray and then be not sure if you did.

- You waste too much water and long time in wudu and ghusl.

- You pray more than the number of Rakats and do the Sahu sujud every time. Even you pray more than once.

- you are not sure if your clothes are clean and every moment change your clothes.

- You follow the tiny things that are not even seen by eyes to clean them and remove them.

- You worry too much and feel your worship is not complete.

- You ask strange questions that people feel amazed about and show strange behaviour for example: someone walks with shoes on the carpet until the spot where she prays just because she is not sure if the land is clean.

- You spend a very long time in the bathroom, just washing.

- You are not sure of any worship you did is complete.

And many other strange things that can tell you are suffering form Waswasa.


Waswasa can become a serious problem especially if a person suffers from it constantly. Shaythan keeps putting doubts in ones mind and keeps telling the person that their prayer or wudu ghusl etc are not valid and that you have missed something out or not done it properly and so you should do it again.

Your clothes are not clean, wash them again and so on. The person keeps falling for this and by this time shaythan knows that this has become the persons weakness so shaythan is able to attack the person in many different angles.


Eventually shaythan will go onto more serious matters of faith until he tries to convince a person that "Are you sure Allah exists"? Or shaythan tries to cast doubts in the mind of a person by convincing them that they had shirk thoughts and so they must do the shahada again because they have now become a disbeliever and are out of the fold of Islam.

Here are some real stories of people having Waswasa problem:

A woman said: For 16 years, I everyday have shower and take shahada because I suddenly feel I am not sure, I am Muslim.

A guy said: For years I pray and think I did not until I stopped praying at all.

A woman said: I used to pray the prayer and keep repeating it until the next prayer.


The best way's to resolve Extreme cases of Waswas are:


1. Waswas can occur with pretty much any practising Muslim particularly if they do not have sufficient knowledge of Islam and matters pertaining to Fiqhi rulings.


They care so much about wanting to worship right and please Allah and get so worried whether their deed has been accepted or not by Allah but the fact is they just do not know enough about Islam especially Fiqhi matters.

So it is VERY important to learn about Fiqh and various other aspects of Islam. Knowledge is key to eradicating this problem from your life!

Join some Fiqh classes face to face or online. Learn about other important aspects of Islam to. keep learning, learning and learning and you watch how these evil thoughts disappear inshallah.


2. JUST IGNORE shaythans whispers. He will keep telling you your worship is incorrect or you have missed out something in your Salah then you must NOT repeat the Salah again.


When you have done Wudu and something tells you that you have missed out something or have not done it properly then IGNORE those whispers.


If shaythan tells you to do ghusl again because you never did it properly then IGNORE and NEVER obey these evil and deceptive whispers!


If shaythan tries to tell you that you have attributed partners with Allah and that you have done shirk then IGNORE IT. He wants you to lose your faith and think that you have committed blasphemy when you have not done anything of the sort. if the mind wanders sometimes then that is fine all of our minds wander.


Abu Haraira (Ra) narrates that once a group of people came to the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and asked: “We experience such evil thoughts that it is impossible to bring them on our lips”. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Do you really experience these thoughts? Yes, they replied. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “They are clear signs of faith”. (Sahih Muslim).


So these are signs of faith and ultimately, we are not held to account for these thoughts. However, we will be held to account if we act on these thoughts.


Shaythan will then try to make you think that you did act on these feelings when all you did was involuntarily wandered about them in your mind. Even if they did linger in your mind it does not mean you acted on it. Almost all of us have random thoughts and absurdities going on in our minds all of the time it does not mean we necessarily believe what we thought of.

Do NOT ever give in to these thoughts for shaythan is just trying to be clever but knowledge will give on the upper hand!

Whenever you get these whispers then just think: IT IS SHAYTHAN TRYING TO DECIEVE ME AND PUT ME OFF MY WORSHIP!


3. Once you have completed Wudu then move on and ignore whatever shaythan tells you regardless of how serious it sounds. You have completed it and there is no need to think of it anymore. Once you have completed your Salaah then move on and continue with the next one or get on with whatever you are doing with your day or evening. Do not think about it and ignore any thoughts associated with the worship you have just done.


Whatever you have completed is done and is over and there is NOTHING more you can do about it so do not think back that you could have done this or that or whether you need to repeat it etc. These doubts will not affect the prayer or wudu etc which you have completed so disregard and reject the whispers that tell you otherwise.


These are all tricks of shaythan and you need to realise what his angles are. You need to play him at his own game and that way you will have the upper hand every time!


Just think of what you need to do to please Allah and do not be extreme in religion.


4. Who decides whether your worship will be complete or not? Shaythan or Allah? So by listening to the whispers of shaythan then you are simply obeying shaythan over Allah! Therefore we must ignore his evil whispers and realise that ONLY Allah can accept our deeds so we should obey Allah and ignore these waswas.



5. If you get waswas then recite the following:


A'udhu billaahi minashaythanirajeem


and


La Hawla Wala Quwatha Illah billahil aliyyil Adheem



Also recite the four Qul's Morning and evening and Ayatul Kursi Morning, before going to sleep and after every prayer.

If shaythan whispers to you in prayer then look lft and spittle and recite A'udhu billaahi minashaythanirajeem


thank Allah, wholeheartedly, for enabling you to overcome your desires and shaytan [saying, Alhamdulillah (‘All praise is due to Allah’)]; this makes shaytan despair, and strengthens one’s resolve.


The following verse of Surah al-mu’minun may also be beneficial:


“Rabbi inni a’uzu bika min hamazat ashayatin wa a’uzu bika rabbi an yahdurun”


Trans: O my Lord! I seek your protection from the instigations of devils and I also seek your protection from that they (ever) come to me.



6. Why disobey Allah and listen to shaythans whispers? By constantly repeating wudu, Salaah and wasting so much time then we are going against Allah and instead listening to shaythans evil whispers. The fact is Allah wants you to reject the waswas but shaythan wants you to accept them, then who will you listen to? The choice is yours...

A desert Arab came to the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and asked him about ablution. He demonstrated (washing each part of his body) thrice, and then said: That is (the method) of the ablution. And he who does more than this has done wrong, transgressed the limit and has oppressed (himself). (Tirmidhi #417 , Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and Abu Dawud)


This hadith proves that one does NOT need to keep repeating the wudu over and over for no reason just because shaythan is telling us to repeat it. We would then transgress and oppress ourselves by doing so! Similarly one does not have to repeat the ghusl or prayers again and again for no reason just because shaythan tells us to. We are praying for Allah so shaythan has NO say in it and NEVER has!

7. It is unlikely that you will not be able to conquer waswas overnight. Shaythan will not give up so easily for he will try and make you feel like you just don't care anymore about your worship or shirk etc but again this is just one of his many tactics that he uses to try and put off Allah's worshippers and so know that you know the different angels then you are now more equipped to fight these evil whispers.


There are many more different angles that the shaythan will use but they will all be similar in nature, so if you follow these tips then eventually you will be able to eradicate this disease out of your life FOREVER! and start to enjoy your worship of Allah again Inshallah.


So counteract all of these negative thoughts that you get after worship with positive thoughts and realise that ONLY Allah can accept your deeds and knows what is in your heart not Shaythan for he is just a deceiver!


Allah Most High has promised,

“As for those who strive in Us, We surely guide them to Our paths, and lo! Allah is with the good.” [Qur’an, 29.69]



And Allah knows best in all matters

[Al-Mufarridun]

Assalaamu Alaikum

Jazakallah khair bro. very beneficial post indeed.

may Allah(swt) purify our intentions and grant us all tawfiq in all that we do. ameen.

[ufaq]

SUBHANALLAH

Thank you this very important information.
ALHAMDULLILLAH

[Reflections]

- You worry too much and feel your worship is not complete.

Astagfirullah..Wouldn't have thought that could be a waswasa..May Allah protect us from the whispers of shaytaan..Allahome ameen

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[Nayab]

Asalam o Alikum...
JazakAllah for sharing.

[Hamza Asadullah]

4 hadith on overcoming waswas

1. The Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam has said:

"Whoever experiences anything of this Waswas, let him say three times,'
'Amantu billahi wa rasullih' and that will drive the Shaytan away." (Saheeh al-Jami' 6587)

2. The Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said:

"The Shaytan may come to any one of you, and say, 'Who created such-and-such? Who created such-and-such?' until he asks, 'Who created your (Lord) Rabb?' If this happens to anyone, let him seek refuge with Allah, the Almighty, and let him stop such thoughts." (Sahih al-Jami' 93)

3. The Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said:

"The people will nearly ask too many questions, so that one of them may say, 'Allah, the Almighty, created all of creation, but who created Allah, the Almighty?' If they say this, then recite: "Allah is the One, Allah is the Self-Sufficient Master, He begets not, nor was He begotten; and there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him" (Surah 112: 1-4), and spit (drily) to left three times, and seek refuge with Allah, the Almighty, from the Shaytan." (Saheeh al-Jami' 8182)

4. The Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam has said: "Think about the signs of Allah, the Almighty, do not think about Allah ( Himself)." (Saheeh Al-Jami' 2975)

[Chavundur]

The Second Station of the Twenty-First Word

[This comprises five cures for five of the heart's wounds.]

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

And say: "O my Sustainer! I seek refuge with You from the suggestions of the evil ones * And I seek refuge with you, O my Sustainer, lest they should come near me."7

O one afflicted with the sickness of scruples! Do you know what your scruples resemble? A calamity! The more importance they are given, the more they grow. If you give them no importance, they die away. If you see them as big, they grow bigger. If you see them as small, they grow smaller. If you fear them, they swell and make you ill. If you do not fear them, they are light and remain hidden. If you do not know their true nature, they persist and become established. While if you do know them and recognize them, they disappear. And so, I shall explain only five 'Aspects' which, of the many sorts of these calamitous scruples, are those which most frequently occur. Perhaps it may be curative for you and for me, for these scruples are such that ignorance invites them and knowledge repulses them. If you do not recognize them they come, if you do recognize them they go.

FIRST ASPECT - FIRST WOUND

Satan first casts a doubt into the heart. If the heart does not accept it, it turns from a doubt into abuse. It depicts before the imagination some unclean memories and unmannerly, ugly states which resemble abuse, and causes the heart to declare: "Alas!", and fall into despair. The person suffering from scruples supposes that he has acted wrongfully before his Sustainer and feels a terrible agitation and anxiety. In order to be saved from it, he flees from the Divine presence and wants to plunge into heedlessness. The cure for this wound is this:

O wretched man suffering from scruples! Do not be alarmed! For what comes to your mind is not abuse, but something imaginary. And like to imagine unbelief is not unbelief, to imagine abuse is not abuse either. For

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7. Qur'an, 23:97-8.
The Words ( 281 )
according to logic, an imagining is not a judgement, and abuse is a judgement. Moreover, those ugly words are not the words of your heart, because your heart is saddened and sorry at them. Rather they come from the inner faculty situated near the heart which is a means of Satanic whisperings. The harm of scruples is imagining the harm. That is, it is to suffer harm in the heart through imagining them to be harmful. For it is imagining to be reality an imagining which is devoid of judgement. Also, it is to attribute to the heart Satan's works; to suppose his words to be from it. Such a person thinks it is harmful, so it becomes harmful. That is anyway what Satan wanted.

SECOND ASPECT

It is this: when meanings arise in the heart, they enter the imagination stripped of form; it is there that they are clothed in an image or form. The imagination, always affected by some cause, weaves images of a sort. It leaves on the way the images of the things to which it gives importance. Whatever meaning passes through it, it either clothes it, or wears it, or taints it, or veils it. If the meanings are pure and clean, and the images, dirty and base, there is no clothing, but there is contact. The man with scruples confuses the contact with being clothed. He exclaims: "Alas! How corrupted my heart has become. This lowness has made me despicable!" Satan takes advantage of this vein of his. The cure for such a wound is as follows:

Listen, O you unfortunate! Just as outward cleanliness, which is the means to the correct conduct of your prayers, is not affected by the uncleanness of the inside of your inner organs, and is not spoiled by it, so the sacred meanings being close to unclean forms does not harm them. For example, you are reflecting on some Divine signs when suddenly you feel ill, or an appetite, or a stimulation like a need to pass water. Of course your imagination will see whatever is necessary to cure the ill or answer the need, and will look at it, weave lowly forms appropriate to them, and the meanings that arise will pass between them. But there is no harm in their passing, nor soiling, nor error, nor injury. If there is any mistake, it is in paying them attention and imagining the harm.

THIRD ASPECT

It is this: there are certain hidden connections between things. There are even the threads of connections between things you least expected. They are either there in fact, or your imagination made them according to the art with which it was preoccupied, and tied them together. It is due to this mystery of connections that sometimes seeing a sacred thing calls to mind a dirty thing. As stated in the science of rhetoric, "Although opposition is the cause of distance in the outer world, it is the cause of proximity in the imagination." That is, an imaginary connection is the means of bringing together the



The Words ( 282 - 283 )
images of two opposites. The recollection which arises from this connection is called the association of ideas.

For example, while performing the prayers or reciting supplications before the Ka'ba in the Divine Presence, this association of ideas takes hold of you and drives you to the furthest, lowest trivia, although you are reflecting on Qur'anic verses. If your head is afflicted with association of ideas in this way, beware, do not be alarmed. Rather, the moment you come to your senses, turn back. Do not say: "I've done a great wrong," and keep playing with the trigger, lest through your attention, that tenuous connection strengthens. For the more you feel regret, the more importance you give it and that faint memory of yours becomes ingrained. It becomes an imaginary sickness. Do not be frightened, it is not a sickness of the heart. This sort of recollection is mostly involuntary. Especially in sensitive, nervous people it is more common. Satan works the mine of this sort of scruple a great deal. The cure for this wound is as follows:

The association of ideas is mostly involuntary. One is not answerable for it. In association there is proximity; there is no touching or intermingling. Therefore the nature of the ideas do not pass to one another and do not harm one another. Just as Satan and the angel of inspiration being in proximity to one another around the heart, and sinners and the pious being close to one another in the same house cause no harm, so too, if at the prompting of the association of ideas, dirty imaginings come and enter among clean thoughts, they cause no harm. Unless it is intentional, or by imagining them to be harmful, one is over-occupied with them. And sometimes the heart becomes tired, and the mind occupies itself with anything it encounters in order to entertain itself. Then Satan finds an opportunity, and scatters dirty things before it, and eggs it on.

FOURTH ASPECT

This is a scruple arising from searching for the best form of an action. Supposing it to be fear of God, the more rigorous it becomes, the more severe the condition becomes for the person. It even reaches the point that while searching for even better forms of action, he deviates into what is unlawful. Sometimes searching for a Sunna makes him give up what is obligatory. He says: "I wonder if my act was sound?", and repeats it. This state continues, and he falls into terrible despair. Satan takes advantage of this state of his, and wounds him. There are two cures for such a wound.

The First Cure: Scruples like this are worthy of the Mu'tazilites, because they say: "Actions and things for which a person is responsible are either, of themselves and in regard to the hereafter, good, and because of this good they were commanded, or they are bad, and because they are bad they were prohibited. That means, from the point of view of reality and the

The Words ( 283 )
hereafter, the good and bad in things is dependent on the things themselves, and the Divine command and prohibition follows this." According to this school of thought, the following scruple arises in every action which a person performs: "I wonder if my action was performed in the good way that in essence it is?" While the true school, the Sunni School, says: "Almighty God orders a thing, then it becomes good. He prohibits a thing, then it becomes bad." That is, goodness becomes existent through command, and badness through prohibition. They look to the awareness of the one who performs the action, and are established according to that. And this good and bad is not in the apparent face which looks to this world, but in the face that looks to the hereafter.

For example, you performed the prayers or took the ablutions and there was a cause that of itself would spoil them, but you were completely unaware of it. Your prayers and ablutions, therefore, are both sound and acceptable. However, the Mu'tazilites say: "In reality it was bad and unsound. But it may be accepted from you because you were ignorant and did not know, so you have an excuse." Therefore, according to the Sunni School, do not say about an action which is conformable with the externals of the Shari'a: "I wonder if it was sound?"; do not have scruples about it. Say: "Was it accepted?"; do not become proud and conceited!

The Second Cure: This is: There is no difficulty in religion.8 Since the four schools of law are true; and since realizing a fault which leads to the seeking of forgiveness is preferable -for the person afflicted with scruples- to seeing actions as good, which leads to pride, that is, it is better if such a person sees his action as faulty and seeks forgiveness, rather than considering it to be good and falling into pride; since it is thus, throw away your scruples and say to Satan: "This state is a difficulty. It is difficult to be aware of the reality of things. It is contrary to the ease in religion expressed by: There is no difficulty in religion. It is contrary to the principle, Religion is facility. Certainly such an action is conformable with a true school of law. That is enough for me. And at least by admitting my inability to perform the worship in a way worthy of it, it is a means of taking refuge with Divine compassion through humbly beseeching forgiveness, and to meekly supplicating that my faulty actions be accepted.

FIFTH ASPECT

In matters of belief, what occurs to one in the form of doubts are scruples. The unhappy man suffering from scruples sometimes confuses conceptions in his mind with imaginings. That is, he imagines a doubt that has occurred to his imagination to be a doubt that has entered his mind, and supposes that

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8. Bukhari, i, 16; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, i, 280; Kanz al-Ummal, iii, 33, 36, 47; vi, 42, 47.



The Words ( 284 - 285 )
his beliefs have been damaged. Sometimes he supposes a doubt he has imagined to have harmed his belief. Sometimes he supposes a doubt he has imagined to have been confirmed by his reason. Sometimes he supposes pondering over a matter related to unbelief to be unbelief. That is, he supposes to be contrary to belief his exercising his ability to reflect in the form of understanding the causes of misguidance, and his ability to study and reason in impartial fashion. Then, taking fright at these suppositions, which result from the whisperings of Satan, he exclaims: "Alas! My heart is corrupted and my beliefs spoiled." Since those states are mostly involuntary, and he cannot put them to rights through his faculty of will, he falls into despair. The cure for this wound is as follows:

Just as imagining unbelief is not unbelief, neither is fancying unbelief, unbelief. And just as imagining misguidance is not misguidance, so too reflecting on misguidance is not misguidance. For both imagining, and fancying, and supposing, and reflecting, are different from confirmation with the reason and submission of the heart, they are other than them; they are free to an extent; they do not listen to the faculty of will; they are not included among the obligations of religion. But affirmation and submission are not like that; they are dependent on a balance. And just as imagining, fancying, supposing, and reflecting are not affirmation or submission, so they cannot be said to be doubt or hesitation. But if they are repeated unnecessarily and become established, then a sort of real doubt may be born of them. Also, continually taking the part of the opposing side calling it unbiased reasoning or being fair reaches the point that the person involuntarily favours the opposing side. His taking the part of the truth, which is incumbent on him, is destroyed. He too falls into danger. A state of mind becomes fixed in his head whereby he becomes an officious representative of Satan or the enemy.

The most important of this sort of scruple is this: the person suffering from it confuses something that is actually possible with something which is reasonably possible. That is, if he sees something which is of itself possible, he imagines it to be reasonably possible and reasonably doubtful. Whereas one of the principles of theology (kalâm) is that something which is of itself possible is not opposed to certain knowledge and does not contradict the demands of reason. For example, the Black Sea sinking into the earth at this moment is of itself possible, but we judge with certainty that the sea is in its place, and we know this without doubting it, and that possibility which is actually possible causes us no doubt and does not damage our certainty. And, for example, of itself it is possible that the sun will not set today or that it will not rise tomorrow. But this possibility in no way damages our certainty that it will rise and gives rise to no doubt. Similarly, unfounded suspicions arising from possibilities of this sort about, for example, the setting of
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the life of this world and rising of the life of the hereafter, which are among the truths of belief, cause no harm to the certainty of belief. Furthermore, the well-known rule, A possibility that does not arise from any proof or evidence is of no importance is one of the established principles of both the sciences of the principles of religion and the principles of jurisprudence (fiqh).

If you say: "What is the wisdom and purpose in scruples being visited on us, which are thus harmful and an affliction for believers?"

The Answer: On condition they do not lead to excess or overwhelm a person, essentially scruples are the cause of vigilance, lead to seeking the best way, and give rise to seriousness. They banish indifference and repulse carelessness. Therefore, in this realm of examination and arena of competition, the Absolutely Wise One put them in the hand of Satan as a whip of encouragement for us. He strikes it at our heads. If it hurts excessively, one must complain to the All-Wise and Compassionate One, and say: I seek refuge with God from Satan the Accursed.

[Chavundur]

I was terribly suffering from waswasa almost 15 years ago. One brother read the book I pasted related part above. It cured my hearth Al Hamdulillah, This is a translation. It is not a calamity peculiar to worshiping only.

[Hamza Asadullah]

Combatting the whispers of shaythan:

http://islamicexorcism.files.wordpre...f-shaytaan.pdf

[Who Am I?]

Nor is this related to Muslims. Shaytan whispers to me constantly, telling me I will never be good enough to take shahada and I won't be able to pray correctly and I should just give up now, my parents will hate me, etc. I admit, sometimes it gets me down, but I keep praying to Allah to guide me, and I still feel like I am being led toward Islam. It goes against everything I have ever known, yet there it is. I only know that I feel more at peace with this decision the more I think about it.

[Flame of Hope]

:sl:

Nor is this related to Muslims. Shaytan whispers to me constantly

lol. If Shaytan is doing that, then it's a sure sign that you have faith. By your interest in Islam you have made Shaytan really busy. ;D

If you accept Islam and start praying, believe me his whispers are going to increase even more. But it's worth it to fight him off and persist in your prayer. There's a sweetness in salat that cannot be found anywhere else.... it's the sweetness of getting close to Allah, being connected to Allah.

Suggestion: Keep Shaytan busy. Keep him worried. Keep him dancing.

He's our enemy..... trying to get us all to face the worst punishment we can possibly get in Hell.

Benefit of fighting Shaytan: An improved character. Cool, calm and collected. :D

[Who Am I?]

:sl:



lol. If Shaytan is doing that, then it's a sure sign that you have faith. By your interest in Islam you have made Shaytan really busy. ;D

If you accept Islam and start praying, believe me his whispers are going to increase even more. But it's worth it to fight him off and persist in your prayer. There's a sweetness in salat that cannot be found anywhere else.... it's the sweetness of getting close to Allah, being connected to Allah.

Suggestion: Keep Shaytan busy. Keep him worried. Keep him dancing.

He's our enemy..... trying to get us all to face the worst punishment we can possibly get in Hell.

Benefit of fighting Shaytan: An improved character. Cool, calm and collected. :D

Ironically, it was a Christian friend of mine who recently pointed out to me that when I was content to wallow in my self-misery, Satan/Shaytan was content to let me. I never really had any issues in my life other than what I perceived with my inflated sense of self-worth. Sure, I was lonely and felt like nobody really cared, and I was angry about everything, but that was it.

Now that I am actively seeking Allah, I have a lot more going on. Money issues, health issues, family issues. I'm not used to having to deal with all of this and I admit it is a little scary sometimes. It seems like life is piling crap on me right now right when I am trying to get my life straight and find Allah and become a better person.

I decided the other night that I don't want to sit on the sidelines forever. I know I don't know how to pray salat yet, but I want to participate anyway. I can't learn if I'm always sitting idly by. There is a lot I don't know about Islam still, but only by making mistakes am I going to learn. And if my effort is an honest one, Allah will forgive any mistakes I make.

With that in mind, I have decided to take shahada. I don't know if I will do it tonight or tomorrow, but I feel like it has to be soon.

[Flame of Hope]

:sl:

With that in mind, I have decided to take shahada. I don't know if I will do it tonight or tomorrow, but I feel like it has to be soon.

You do know how angry Shaytan will be, don't you? :raging:

I teach my kids to do things to make Shaytan angry. lol. The angrier, the better. ;D

[Who Am I?]

:sl:



You do know how angry Shaytan will be, don't you? :raging:

I teach my kids to do things to make Shaytan angry. lol. The angrier, the better. ;D

Well, I live for making people angry, so that's perfect for me.

[Muhammad]

Greetings Just a Guy,

I decided the other night that I don't want to sit on the sidelines forever. I know I don't know how to pray salat yet, but I want to participate anyway. I can't learn if I'm always sitting idly by. There is a lot I don't know about Islam still, but only by making mistakes am I going to learn. And if my effort is an honest one, Allah will forgive any mistakes I make.

With that in mind, I have decided to take shahada. I don't know if I will do it tonight or tomorrow, but I feel like it has to be soon.

This is really wonderful to hear. Please do let us know how it goes. May Allaah (swt) guide you and help you in every step, Aameen.

[Hamza Asadullah]

Waswas (Insinuating Thoughts) from Shaytan


A person asked: "I am suffering from many insinuating thoughts (waswas) about the nature of Allah, the Almighty, may He, the Almighty, be glorified. There are thoughts going around in my mind that I cannot utter because they do not fit Allah, the Almighty, and they keep coming back to me, when I am praying and at other times. it is so bad that I doubt my faith, and wonder if I am even a real Muslim or not. What is the cure for this problem?"

A number of hadiths have been reported from the Prophet, peace be upon him, which contain the answer to this problem, Al-hamdu Lillah (praise be to Allah). The Messenger, peace be upon him, said:

"The Shaytan may come to any one of you and say, 'Who created Allah, the Almighty?' If any one of you experiences this, let him say, '
'Amantu billahi wa rasulihi ' [I believed in Allah, the Almighty, and His Messenger, peace be upon him], and that will drive him away."(Saheeh al-Jami' 1657)

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, also said: "The Shaytan may come to any one of you and ask, 'Who created the heaven?' and he will say, 'Allah, the Almighty' then the Shaytan will say, 'Who created Allah, the Almighty?' If any one of you experiences this, let him say, '
'Amantu billahi wa rasulih.'" (Sahih al-Jami' 1656)

The Prophet, peace be upon him, also said:

"Whoever experiences anything of this Waswas, let him say three times,' 'Amantu billahi wa rashullih' and that will drive the Shaytan away." (Saheeh al-Jami' 6587)

The Prophet, pece be upon him, said: "The Shaytan may come to any one of you, and say, 'Who created such-and-such? Who created such-and-such?' until he asks, 'Who created your (Lord) Rabb?' If this happens to anyone, let him seek refuge with Allah, the Almighty, and let him stop such thoughts." (Sheeh al-Jami' 93)

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "The people will nearly ask too many questions, so that one of them may say, 'Allah, the Almighty, created all of creation, but who created Allah, the Almighty?' If they say this, then recite: "Allah is the One, Allah is the Self-Sufficient Master, He begets not, nor was He begotten; and there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him" (Surah 112: 1-4), and spit (drily) to left three times, and seek refuge with Allah, the Almighty, from the Shaytan." (Saheeh al-Jami' 8182)

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Think about the signs of Allah, the Almighty, do not think about Allah ( Himself)." [/COLOR](Saheeh Al-Jami' 2975)

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Think about the creation of Allah not think about Allah (Himself)." (Saheeh al-Jami', 2976)

Form these texts we may summarize the following six ways of overcoming these insinuating thoughts:

1.The person who is experiencing such ideas should say," 'Amantu billahi wa rasulihi [I believe in Allah, the Almighty, and His Messenger, peace be upon him.]."

2.He should seek refuge with Allah, the Almighty, from the accursed Shaytan, and say three times, "A 'udhu billahi 'l-Sami' il-'Alim min al-Shaytan il-rajim, min hamzihi wa nafkhihi wa nafathih [ I seek refuge with Allah, the All-hearing, the All-Knowing, from the accursed Shaytan, and from his slander and evil insinuations]."

3.He should spit (with little saliva) to his left three times.

4. He should stop thinking about these things, as the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Let him stop." This is an important tactic, because continuing to allow the Shaytan to influence one in this way will only make it worse. The Muslim must stop these thoughts, as much as he can, and keep his mind busy with something useful and beneficial.

5. He should recite Surah al-Ikhlas (Qul huwa Allahu ahad), because it describes attributes of the All-Merciful and is considered to be equivalent to one-third of the Qur'an. Reciting this great Surah will guarantee an end to these insinuating thoughts.

6.He should think about the creating and blessing of Allah, the Almighty, not about His nature, because his weak human mind can never comprehend the nature of Allah. Allah, the Almighty, said: "..... but they never compass anything of His Knowledge." (20:110)

(Ref: Muhammad Salih Al-Munajjid. Problems and Solutions. IIPH, Riyadh, KSA)

[Hamza Asadullah]

Ignore Shaytan's Whispers

http://www.fatwaislam.com/fis/index.cfm?scn=fd&ID=99

[Hamza Asadullah]

Shaythan CANNOT decide if your worship is accepted or not, ONLY ALLAH CAN!

Imprint this in your minds whenever you get any type of paranoia about worship. Surely shaythan does not know what is in our hearts. He cannot decide if our purification or worship is accepted or good enough or not. To him nothing good that we do will ever be good enough because he hates it when we do good. Therefore ignore shaythan who is our sworn enemy and know that he has NO say in whether our wudu, ghusl or any worship we do is good enough or accepted or not. He is decieving us into think it is not good enough and will not be accepted. Who is he to tell us this? NO ONE! So ignore him and do not listen to him. Know that as long as we try our best to do a good wudu and ghusl and worship him in the best way that we can then that is good enough for Allah. After that get on with making the best of each second of our lives and IGNORE YOUR ENEMY SHAYTHAN!

[Serendipity]

jazakallah khair for this. I did have an extreme case of waswas before, but I got over it alhamdulillah but I still get thoughts that my wudu and my salah wasn't correct.

[Muhaba]

Jazak Allaho khair

I didn't read it all but seems beneficial. especially the part about ignoring shaytan's whispers when it tells you you didn't do something right or missed something.

i remember one imam talking about a man who said that he knew he had done the pyarer right but he was worried he had missed something. so the imam told him that he was insane and the pen stops writing when a person is insane so the man has nothing to worry about since his deeds are not being written. it's true that some people have shaytan's waswas to the point that they may be regarded insane. A teacher of fiqh said that you should wash yourself three times in ghusl up to a maximum of seven times. and if even after 7 times you still feel you are not clean, then you are crazy.

I have heard ppl repeating parts of prayer because they felt they hadn't done them. If you are worried you haven'tprayed right because you really haven't been paying attention, then the prayer should be repeated. We should be aware of your prayers and what we are reciting in them and should even be aware of the meaning. In the prayer we should feel that we are standing before Allah because it is direct communication with Allah and Allah is watching us. So if the mind wanders here and there, then the prayer should be repeated because really one hasn't prayed if one isn't attentive. I have seen that repeating the prayer or reciting the part again (for example, Surah Al-Fatiha) when one is inattentive makes shaytan go away and the next time you are more attentive.

If on the other hand one knows he has done the prayer right but still gets such thougths that he hasn't, then those thoughts should be ignored.

[~Zaria~]

“Verily, those who are the pious, when an evil thought comes to them from Shaytaan, they remember (Allah), and (indeed) they then see (aright).”

(Surah Al-A’raaf 7 : 201)

[~Zaria~]

If on the other hand one knows he has done the prayer right but still gets such thougths that he hasn't, then those thoughts should be ignored.

JazakAllah khayrun,

I think in such matters, the ruling applies:

'Certainty is not removed by doubt'

(the proof for this being the hadeeth of Abdullah bin Zaid (ra) where a man informed Rasulullah (sallalahu alaihi wasalam) that he feels some wind escaping him during prayer, so he said: He should not leave until he hears the sound or smells it. (Sahih Bukhari and Muslim). )

And Allah (subhanawataála) knows best.

:wa:

[Scimitar]

I ignore the thoughts, by simply reciting "I seek refuge in Allah from Satan the Accursed"... and then I feel good again.

If its a disturbing thought from wiswas, I mean really disturbing - I recite the Kuls, and blow over myself repeatedly... even in public. heck, I don;t care what people think - they aint gonna be sticking up for me on that terrible day when HE accounts all HIS creation.

Scimi

[Hamza Asadullah]

Dua to ward off the deception of the Obstinate Shaytaans




The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم Protecting Himself from the Shayaateen

Ja’far bin Sulaymaan ad-Duba’ee narrated: Aboo at-Tayyaaj narrated to us, he said: “I said to ‘Abdur-Rahmaan bin Khanbash at-Tameemee – and he was an old man – ‘did you reach the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم (during his lifetime)?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘So I said: How did the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم act on the night the shayaateen plotted against him?’ So he said: ‘Indeed the shayaateen descended that night upon the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم from the valleys and mountain paths, and amongst them was a shaytaan, in his hand was a flame of fire, wanting to burn the face of Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم with it. So Jibreel - عليه السلام - descended to h im and said: ‘O Muhammad! Say:





'A'oodhu bikalimaatil-laahit-taammaatil-latee laa yujaawizuhunna barrun wa laa faajirun
min sharri maa khalaqa,wa bara'a wa dhara'a,
wa min sharri maa yanzilu minas-samaa'i,
wa min sharri maa ya'ruju feehaa,
wa min sharri maa dhara'a fil-ardhi,
wa min sharri maa yakhruju minhaa,
wa min sharri fitanil-layli wannahaari,
wa min sharri kulli taariqin 'illaa taariqan yatruqu bikhayrin yaa Rahmaan


(( I seek refuge by the complete, perfect words of Allaah, which no righteous one nor wicked one can exceed, from the evil of what He has created, and from the evil of what descends from the heavens, and from the evil of what ascends to them, and from the evil of what is sown in the earth and is created, and from the evil of what comes out from it, and from the evil of the fitan of the night and the day, and from the evil of everyone who comes knocking, except for the one who comes knocking with khayr, O Rahmaan! ))

So it (this du’aa) extinguished their fire, and Allaah تبارك و تعالى defeated them.” (as-Suyootee in al-Jaami’ al-Kabeer (1/11/2) to Ahmad, and at-Tabaraanee in al-Kabeer, and Ibnus-Sunnee in ‘Amalul-Yawmi wal-Laylah from ‘Abdur-Rahmaan bin Khanbash, and from Ahmad (3/319), and Ibnus-Sunnee (631) from Ja’far bin Sulaymaan ad-Duba’ee from Aboo at-Tayyaa)

[جوري]

What are some of the symptoms of waswas?

-You pray and then be not sure if you did.

- You waste too much water and long time in wudu and ghusl.

- You pray more than the number of rakats and do the sahu sujud every time. Even you pray more than once.

- you are not sure if your clothes are clean and every moment change your clothes.

- You follow the tiny things that are not even seen by eyes to clean them and remove them.

- You worry too much and feel your worship is not complete.

- You ask strange questions that people feel amazed about and show strange behavior for example: someone walks with shoes on the carpet until the spot where she prays just because she is not sure if the land is clean.

- You spend a very long time in the bathroom, just washing.

- You are not sure of any worship you did is complete.

I think all of these apply to me- but I have always been this way even before I took up prayers.
Sometimes I change three to four times a day even.. but I have reached a stage where I just have to work with it and not fight it so much.. I do remember seeing many anon posts for someone who has that problem to the extreme- I am not sure it can be changed without major behavioral modifications, and none have worked for me..

thanks for the thread though.. Jazaka Allah khyran

:w:

[whale95]

Jazak Allaho khairaan! :D
Thank you so Much ...
This is an issue which I didnt know! :) Hamdolila for knowing it! :)

[ahmedmo]

Assalamulaikum- Very relevant comments and excellent advice

[Hamza Asadullah]

Therapy as treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

The most effective treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder is often cognitive-behavioral therapy. Antidepressants are sometimes used in conjunction with therapy, although medication alone is rarely effective in relieving the symptoms of OCD.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) involves two components:

1. Exposure and response prevention involves repeated exposure to the source of your obsession. Then you are asked to refrain from the compulsive behavior you’d usually perform to reduce your anxiety. For example, if you are a compulsive hand washer, you might be asked to touch the door handle in a public restroom and then be prevented from washing. As you sit with the anxiety, the urge to wash your hands will gradually begin to go away on its own. In this way, you learn that you don’t need the ritual to get rid of your anxiety—that you have some control over your obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.
2. Cognitive therapy focuses on the catastrophic thoughts and exaggerated sense of responsibility you feel. A big part of cognitive therapy for OCD is teaching you healthy and effective ways of responding to obsessive thoughts, without resorting to compulsive behavior.

Four Steps for Conquering Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Psychiatrist Jeffrey Schwartz, author of Brain Lock: Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior, offers the following four steps for dealing with OCD:

• RELABEL – Recognize that the intrusive obsessive thoughts and urges are the result of OCD. For example, train yourself to say, "I don't think or feel that my hands are dirty. I'm having an obsession that my hands are dirty." Or, "I don't feel that I have the need to wash my hands. I'm having a compulsive urge to perform the compulsion of washing my hands."
• REATTRIBUTE – Realize that the intensity and intrusiveness of the thought or urge is caused by OCD; it is probably related to a biochemical imbalance in the brain. Tell yourself, "It's not me—it’s my OCD," to remind you that OCD thoughts and urges are not meaningful, but are false messages from the brain.
• REFOCUS – Work around the OCD thoughts by focusing your attention on something else, at least for a few minutes. Do another behavior. Say to yourself, "I'm experiencing a symptom of OCD. I need to do another behavior."
• REVALUE – Do not take the OCD thought at face value. It is not significant in itself. Tell yourself, "That's just my stupid obsession. It has no meaning. That's just my brain. There's no need to pay attention to it." Remember: You can't make the thought go away, but neither do you need to pay attention to it. You can learn to go on to the next behavior.

Source: Westwood Institute for Anxiety Disorders

Family therapy for OCD treatment

Because OCD often causes problems in family life and social adjustment, family therapy can often be beneficial.

• Family therapy promotes understanding of the disorder and can help reduce family conflicts.
• It can motivate family members and teach them how to help their loved one.

Group therapy for OCD treatment

Through interaction with fellow OCD sufferers, group therapy provides support and encouragement and decreases feelings of isolation.
Self-help for OCD tip 1: Challenge obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors

If you have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), there are many ways you can help yourself in addition to seeking therapy.
Refocus your attention

Learn to recognize and reduce stress

Watch 4-min. video: Quick Stress Relief


When you’re experiencing OCD thoughts and urges, try shifting your attention to something else.

• You could exercise, jog, walk, listen to music, read, surf the web, play a video game, make a phone call, or knit. The important thing is to do something you enjoy for at least 15 minutes, in order to delay your response to the obsessive thought or compulsion.
• At the end of the delaying period, reassess the urge. In many cases, the urge will no longer be quite as intense. Try delaying for a longer period. The longer you can delay the urge, the more it will likely change.

Write down your obsessive thoughts or worries

Keep a pad and pencil on you, or type on a laptop, smartphone, or tablet. When you begin to obsess, write down all your thoughts or compulsions.

• Keep writing as the OCD urges continue, aiming to record exactly what you're thinking, even if you’re repeating the same phrases or the same urges over and over.
• Writing it all down will help you see just how repetitive your obsessions are.
• Writing down the same phrase or urge hundreds of times will help it lose its power.
• Writing thoughts down is much harder work than simply thinking them, so your obsessive thoughts are likely to disappear sooner.

Anticipate OCD urges

By anticipating your compulsive urges before they arise, you can help to ease them. For example, if your compulsive behavior involves checking that doors are locked, windows closed, or appliances turned off, try to lock the door or turn off the appliance with extra attention the first time.

• Create a solid mental picture and then make a mental note. Tell yourself, “The window is now closed,” or “I can see that the oven is turned off.”
• When the urge to check arises later, you will find it easier to relabel it as “just an obsessive thought.”

Create an OCD worry period

Rather than trying to suppress obsessions or compulsions, develop the habit of rescheduling them.

• Choose one or two 10 minute “worry periods” each day, time you can devote to obsessing. Choose a set time and place (e.g. in the living room from 8:00 to 8:10 a.m. and 5:00 to 5:10 p.m.) that’s early enough it won’t make you anxious before bedtime.
• During your worry period, focus only on negative thoughts or urges. Don’t try to correct them. At the end of the worry period, take a few calming breaths, let the obsessive thoughts or urges go, and return to your normal activities. The rest of the day, however, is to be designated free of obsessions and compulsions.
• When thoughts or urges come into your head during the day, write them down and “postpone” them to your worry period. Save it for later and continue to go about your day.
• Go over your “worry list” during the worry period. Reflect on the thoughts or urges you wrote down during the day. If the thoughts are still bothering you, allow yourself to obsess about them, but only for the amount of time you’ve allotted for your worry period.

Create a tape of your OCD obsessions

Focus on one specific worry or obsession and record it to a tape recorder, laptop, or smartphone.

• Recount the obsessive phrase, sentence, or storyexactly as it comes into your mind.
• Play the tape back to yourself, over and over for a 45-minute period each day, until listening to the obsession no longer causes you to feel highly distressed.
• By continuously confronting your worry or obsession you will gradually become less anxious. You can then repeat the exercise for a different obsession.

Self-help for OCD tip 2: Take care of yourself

A healthy, balanced lifestyle plays a big role in keeping OCD behavior, fears, and worry at bay.
Practice relaxation techniques

While stress doesn’t cause OCD, a stressful event can trigger the onset of obsessive and compulsive behavior, and stress can often make obsessive-compulsive behavior worse.

• Mindful meditation, yoga, deep breathing, and other stress-relief techniques may help reduce the symptoms of anxiety brought on by OCD.
• Try to practice a relaxation technique for at least 30 minutes a day.

Adopt healthy eating habits

Start the day right with breakfast, and continue with frequent small meals throughout the day. Going too long without eating leads to low blood sugar, which can make you feel more anxious.

• Eat plenty of complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Not only do complex carbs stabilize blood sugar, they also boost serotonin, a neurotransmitter with calming effects.

Exercise regularly

Exercise is a natural and effective anti-anxiety treatment that helps to control OCD symptoms by refocusing your mind when obsessive thoughts and compulsions arise.

• For maximum benefit, try to get 30 minutes or more of aerobic activity on most days. Aerobic exercise relieves tension and stress, boosts physical and mental energy, and enhances well-being through the release of endorphins, the brain’s feel-good chemicals.

Avoid alcohol and nicotine

Alcohol temporarily reduces anxiety and worry, but it actually causes anxiety symptoms as it wears off. Similarly, while it may seem that cigarettes are calming, nicotine is actually a powerful stimulant. Smoking leads to higher, not lower, levels of anxiety and OCD symptoms.
Get enough sleep

Not only can anxiety and worry cause insomnia, but a lack of sleep can also exacerbate anxious thoughts and feelings. When you’re well rested, it’s much easier to keep your emotional balance, a key factor in coping with anxiety disorders such as OCD.
Self-help for OCD tip 3: Reach out for support

Obsessive-compulsive behavior (OCD) can get worse when you feel powerless and alone, so it’s important to build a strong support system. The more connected you are to other people, the less vulnerable you’ll feel. Just talking about your worries and urges can make them seem less threatening.
Stay connected to family and friends

Obsessions and compulsions can consume your life to the point of social isolation. In turn, social isolation can aggravate your OCD symptoms. It’s important to have a network of family and friends you can turn to for help and support. Involving others in your treatment can help guard against setbacks and keep you motivated.
Join an OCD support group

You’re not alone in your struggle with OCD, and participating in a support group can be an effective reminder of that. OCD support groups enable you to both share your own experiences and learn from others who are facing the same problems. For a searchable database of OCD support groups, see the Resources and References section below.
Helping a loved one with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

If a friend or family member has OCD, your most important job is to educate yourself about the disorder. Share what you’ve learned with your loved one and let them know that there is help available. Simply knowing that OCD is treatable can sometimes provide enough motivation for your loved one to seek help.
Tips for helping a friend or family member with OCD

The way you react to a loved one’s OCD symptoms can have a big impact.

• Negative comments or criticism can make OCD worse, while a calm, supportive environment can help improve the outcome of treatment. Focus on the sufferer’s positive qualities and avoid making personal criticisms.
• Don’t scold someone with OCD or tell the person to stop performing rituals. They can’t comply, and the pressure to stop will only make the behaviors worse. Remember, your loved one’s OCD behaviors are symptoms, not character flaws.
• Be as kind and patient as possible. Each sufferer needs to overcome problems at their own pace. Praise any successful attempt to resist OCD, and focus attention on positive elements in the person’s life.
• Do not play along with your loved one’s OCD rituals. Helping the sufferer with rituals will only reinforce the behavior. Support the person, not their rituals.
• Create a pact to not allow OCD to take over family life. Sit down as a family and decide how you will work together to tackle your loved one’s OCD symptoms. Try to keep family life as normal as possible and the home a low-stress environment.
• Communicate positively, directly and clearly. Communication is important so you can find a balance between standing up to the OCD and not further distressing your loved one.
• Find the humor. Seeing the humor and absurdity in some OCD symptoms can help the sufferer become more detached from the disorder. Of course, a situation is only humorous if the sufferer finds it funny, too.

Source: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/obse...sorder_ocd.htm

[Hamza Asadullah]

Islamic Solution for OCD (Waswaas) – A Comprehensive Guide

http://islamandpsychology.blogspot.c...swaas.html?m=1

[cottonrainbow]

Jazakallah khair!

This is a wonderful post!

Thanks for adressing this issue~!

[BeTheChange]

I think we all strive for perfection so we do think about our salaah and whether it has been accepted. This is a normal thought.

It's good to contemplate on how we can improve our salaah and character but we shouldn't let our thoughts and actions become obsessive.

Excellent read alhamdulilah

[AdilItachi]

i used to have this problem while doing the wudhu

[anisafatima]

Waswas (shaythans whisper) occurs in Muslim mind mainly because of sufficient knowledge of Islam, this happen when shaythan putting uncertainties in persons mind and keep telling the person that their ablution and prayer are not valid or you do not done your prayer properly or you have miss something during the prayer.

[Hamza Asadullah]

Overcoming Waswas - OCD from an invisible angle

http://islamandpsychology.blogspot.c...invisible.html

[Hamza Asadullah]

What do you do if you hear whispers (wiswaas)?

https://youtu.be/TUQWog1cSHs

[Scimitar]

CLOSE THE GAP between you and the next brother, if making salaah in congregation. If at home - recite audibly with the utmost concentration.

Scimi

[darullemon]

Whenever shaytaan whispers or says things that you did or didnt do, ask him to bring two believing witnesses.

[LaSorcia]

CLOSE THE GAP between you and the next brother, if making salaah in congregation. If at home - recite audibly with the utmost concentration.

Scimi

Agreed, I have found that saying prayers out loud makes a big difference. Sometimes I feel kind of silly doing it, but it works.

[Hamza Asadullah]

A man is experiencing waswas (insinuating whispers) from the Shaytan (devil) having to do with Allah, and he is very afraid of that.


Praise be to Allah


The questioner has mentioned this problem and is afraid of its consequences. I say to him, rejoice, for its consequences cannot be anything but good. By means of this waswas, the Shaytan tries to gain control over the believers and shake the sound belief in their hearts, and make them suffer psychological and intellectual anxiety that will affect the purity of their faith and their life, if they are believers.

This is not the first or the last time that the believers have been exposed to this. It will continue so long as there is any believer in this world. The Sahabah/companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) also faced this problem. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Some of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said to him, ‘We find in ourselves thoughts that are too terrible to speak of.’ He said, ‘Are you really suffering from that?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘That is a clear sign of faith.’” (Muslim).

It was narrated in al-Saheehayn, also from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The Shaytan comes to one of you and says, ‘Who created such and such? Who created such and such?’ Until he says, ‘Who created your Lord?!’ If that happens to any of you, let him seek refuge with Allah and put a stop to these thoughts.”

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said, “I think thoughts to myself, which I would rather be burnt to a cinder than speak of them.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Praise be to Allah, Who has reduced all his [the Shaytan’s] plots to mere whispers.” (Abu Dawood).

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Kitab al-Eeman: “The believer may suffer from the whispers of the Shaytan insinuating thoughts of kufr (disbelief), which may make him feel distressed. The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, some of us think thoughts which we would rather fall from heaven to earth than speak of them.’ He said, ‘That is a clear sign of faith.’ According to one report, ‘… thoughts which are too terrible to speak of.’ He said, ‘Praise be to Allah, Who has reduced all his [the Shaytan’s] plots to mere whispers,’ meaning that the fact that these whispers come, but they are so greatly disliked, and they are pushed away from the heart, is a clear sign of faith. This is like the mujahid (warrior) to whom the enemy comes, but he resists him until he overwhelms him, and this is a mighty jihad (battle)… Hence the seekers of knowledge and devoted worshippers experience waswas and doubts which others do not face, because they (the others) are not following the way prescribed by Allah, rather they are following their own whims and desires and neglecting to remember their Lord. This is what the Shaytan wants, in contrast to those who are striving to draw closer to their Lord by seeking knowledge and worshipping Him. He is their enemy and seeks to prevent them from drawing closer to Allah.” (p.147 of the Indian edition)

I say to this questioner, if you are faced with this waswas from the Shaytan, then fight it and resist it. Know that it can never harm you when you fulfill the duty of fighting and resisting it, and you refuse to be controlled by it. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Allah will forgive my ummah (followers) for any insinuating whispers that may cross their minds, so long as they do not act upon it or speak of it.” (Agreed upon).

If it is said to you: Do you believe the insinuating whispers you experience? Do you think that they are true? Do you really think that Allah is like what this waswas says? You would say, “It is not right for us to speak of this. Glory be to You (O Allah)! This is a great lie” [24:16 ]. You would denounce that in your heart and with your tongue, and be the one who objects to it the most, for it is only whispers and thoughts that cross your mind. It is a trap set by the Shaytan, who flows through the son of Adam (peace be upon him) like blood flows, to make you doomed and to confuse you about your religion.

Hence you will find that the Shaytan does not cast doubts or suspicions into your heart about trivial matters. For example, you may hear of the existence of great cities filled with people and buildings in the east and the west, but it would never cross your mind some day to doubt that they exist or to criticize them and say that they are in ruins and unfit for habitation, or that they are uninhabited, and so on. The Shaytan has nothing to gain by making people doubt about these cities. But he does have a lot to gain by corrupting the believer’s faith, so he strives with his cavalry and his infantry to extinguish the light of knowledge and guidance in his heart and to make him fall into the darkness of doubt and confusion. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has told us of the appropriate remedy for such problems, which is to seek refuge with Allah and put a stop to it. If a person puts a stop to it and continues to worship Allah, seeking and hoping for (the reward) which is with Allah, it will stop by Allah’s leave. So turn away from all the thoughts of this kind that cross your mind. You are worshipping Allah, calling upon Him and glorifying Him, and if you were to hear anyone ascribing to Allah the things that are whispered to you (waswas), you would probably kill him if you could. So the things that are whispered to you are neither real nor true, they are merely imagination and whispers which have no basis.

Our advice may be summed up as follows:

1. Seek refuge with Allah and give up these thoughts completely, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded.

2. Remember Allah and control yourself and do not continue to think of these whispers.

3. Occupy yourself with worship and doing good deeds, in obedience to the command of Allah and seeking to please Him. When you devote yourself completely and seriously to worship, you will forget about these whispers, insha Allah.

4. Frequently seek refuge with Allah and make du’a (supplicate) to free you from these whispers.

I ask Allah to keep you safe and sound, and protect you from all evils.

Majmoo’ Fatawa wa Rasail Fadeelat al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-‘Uthaymeen, vol. 1, p.57-60

Source:http://www.ruqya-qa.co.uk/whispers/

[Hamza Asadullah]

The Remedy for Waswasa (Satanic Whispers) - Mufti Menk

[Hamza Asadullah]

The Waswas (whispering of shaytân) when praying and doing ablution?

[Kawlah]

Wa salaam and JazzakAllah Khair for this thread!

This was what I needed to read. I never knew much about this at all, but it explains the issues I have had since converting so well. I am glad that I now know the weapons to use against Shaytan.

[Amalalharbi]

Assalamu Alaykum

if you feel the waswasah say this phrase (3) He is the First and the Last, the Ascendant and the Intimate, and He is, of all things, Knowing) .
Surah Al Hadeed

then say A'udhu billaahi minashaythanirajeem 3 times
(yanfuth) spits to his left three times
Amantu Bellahi wa Rusoleh 3 times
very useful

[Hamza Asadullah]

Don't Let Shaytan Control You

[Hamza Asadullah]

[Hamza Asadullah]

[WaleedMahmood]

This thread is very useful. I've been trying to overcome waswas for many years.

[Iamidiot]

What if one has uttered a statement. Due to not being able to handle it ? Or pressure or not understanding? I have been under all these . I hate it. I really don’t understand. And I feel like I say it on purpose and I find myself breaking down. Even though Allah is so merciful to me. Gives me so much . I say it . Out of stupidity . Even tho I never believe it . I say something stupid almost every day and I seek forgiveness and try beg Allah . But almost everyday . Allah gives me so much. I pray shaytaan gets punished very badly . I also need to add that I am tormented by a jinn . But ultimately it’s my stupid actions I however alhamdulillah through allahs guidance never fail to ask for forgiveness. But like is there a ruling ?? Am I ill? Mentally ?

[Iamidiot]

I Suffered a lot from was was bad about Allah . I stupidly gave in so many times where I didn’t understand and didn’t have control or felt pressured to say such idiotic stupid things even tho allah guided me and gave me so many blessings and i disobeyed him like the idiot i am . I love Allah . He gives so much but I am a sinner . I repent alhamdulillah only through allahs guidance.. but it’s like almost every day I say with my mouth a stupid shirk statement either when trying to praise Allah, accidentally or giving into a waswas..... I also may need to add I have been suffering from a jinn tormenting me . But I’m not sure if this was after or before the stupid statements . I pray to Allah alhamdulillah that he forgives me but am I exempt due to my illness ?? Is it a illness? I was never like this before ? I was normal ..

[Iamidiot]

Wallahi I cried like w baby and still I say stuff and it’s so out of my control? Like a whisper saying “I hate Allah “ even
tho I love Allah . Who gives me so much. .. nor did I intend to say ?? I am very confused . I find myself saying stuff that I hate . And I find myself repenting over and over again in w cycle promising Allah I won’t say such stuff . I find myself saying such disgusting stuff and I can’t control it .

[Hamza Asadullah]

What if one has uttered a statement. Due to not being able to handle it ? Or pressure or not understanding? I have been under all these . I hate it. I really don’t understand. And I feel like I say it on purpose and I find myself breaking down. Even though Allah is so merciful to me. Gives me so much . I say it . Out of stupidity . Even tho I never believe it . I say something stupid almost every day and I seek forgiveness and try beg Allah . But almost everyday . Allah gives me so much. I pray shaytaan gets punished very badly . I also need to add that I am tormented by a jinn . But ultimately it’s my stupid actions I however alhamdulillah through allahs guidance never fail to ask for forgiveness. But like is there a ruling ?? Am I ill? Mentally ?

Assalaamu Alaikum. The fact that you are here and are showing concern proves you have imaan. Someone who hasn't any Imaan would never show such concern
We must realise these thoughts are irrational and they do not reflect who we are or what we want to think or say.

Please do go through the whole thread properly as many of the posts, videos article's etc may resonate with what you are going through. Also consider getting treatment/therapy for OCD or a diagnosis from a psychiatrist. It is not shameful to experience mental illness as it is very common.

However we must take steps to help ourselves do that we do not continue to suffer and so we can get what we are facing more under control. Also consider also seeing a Raqi. Most of all ask of Allah during these last blessed days and nights to help you. He hears every call of yours and he knows exactly what you are going through.

[Hamza Asadullah]

Do You Suffer From OCD Or Waswasa?

[Hamza Asadullah]

Distinguishing between clinical OCD and Waswas in spiritual growth:

We have to distinguish between two different types of conditions.

One is an actual clinical diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. People who have this disorder often become religious to the point of developing a disorder as well. This is called religiosity. Don’t get that confused with being very, very devout. These are actual mental conditions that cause the individual’s mind to obsessively think about something to the point where they cannot think about other things. It causes them to be dysfunctional and unable to function normally throughout their day. This condition is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. This is why so often the use of serotonin reuptake inhibitors combined with symptom management is often helpful.

On the other hand, sometimes people are simply going through a spiritual development process and feel the weight of their sin. They are in a process of cleansing themselves. In such a situation, if they are surrounded with mature, loving spiritual friends who can teach them about the love, forgiveness and all-embracing comfort of Allah (swt), they can pass through this spiritual development phase well.

The extra focus on making sure you are doing things “right” is part of the learning process. Once mastered, the person can relax and will feel better about him or herself.

The spiritual development should be rising toward a personal relationship between the individual and Allah (swt). The more connected people feel to the Creator, the better they feel about themselves. They will be able to experience themselves as pure.

Spiritual growth is natural, and most of us on the path have felt the weight of our wrong doing, been motivated to change, and had a fervent desire to be with Allah (swt). Once we feel confident that we have changed, we perceive ourselves differently. Once our focus is no longer on our own self but is on Allah (swt) and how to please Him, we have all of our burdens lifted and relax.

Still, there are some individuals who believe that Allah (swt) is a cruel and merciless being out there only to catch us doing something wrong. An anthropomorphic view of a tyrant Allah (swt) can cause an individual to become very fearful and live life chained to that fear. Scripture attests to the love and mercy of Allah (swt). Scripture refers to Allah (swt) as our Creator, Benevolent, and our Friend. To help a person who perceives Allah (swt) in a negative way, we can show this individual the scriptures about how much we are loved by Allah (swt) and that our suffering is measured by the distance between our heart and focus from Allah (swt).

The extent that we perceive anything to be about our own self is the exact extent that we will suffer. Not because Allah (swt) is a bad God, but rather because this is a universal law and basic spiritual principle, much like gravity is a law of this Planet Earth.

When we read about the laws of Allah (swt) and understand them in this way, you will also understand that the revelation of His laws are only for the purpose of saving us from heartache and suffering because following them brings us closer to Him. Natural consequences of failing to follow a law of Allah (swt) do not mean that we are being abandoned by Him. It only means that we failed to follow the law. We can self-correct, with the love and guidance of Allah (swt). This is the grace of Allah (swt).

Connect your heart and your soul back to its source. Connect to Allah (swt) and focus on Him, and you will greatly reduce your suffering and see your own self as a beautiful creation of Him; a spiritual being here on this Earth for a short while, only to do His will. Contemplating your place in the world in this manner will reduce the negative thoughts and beliefs that a person has about Allah (swt) while adjusting his/her own self-perception as well. By putting things in perspective, we can try to be kind to ourselves and relax, allowing our spirituality to naturally unfold and grow in the way that Allah (swt) would have us grow. Allah (swt) is All-Knowing, so, undoubtedly, He (swt) knows where we are in our soul development.

With that said, if our intention is good and we love Allah (swt) with all our heart, our actions follow. We can only do the best we can with the tools that are available. If Allah (swt) can have such great love for us, then we can stop worrying about our own condition so much and shift our focus in joy to serving Allah (swt). All that we desire for His sake will be given to us. These are attitudes to adopt and they will increase a person’s ability to relax. It is in reducing the worry and self-judging and fear based on false beliefs that will change the patterns of negative thinking.

A person can also use thought stopping and thought replacement, and that is what I mentioned when I discussed using positive scripture. A person can make a conscious effort to be aware when he/she is thinking in the negative manner and pull out a scripture that reminds him/her of this love and kindness of Allah (swt). Keeping little papers with scriptures written on them handy so that once you become aware of having a negative thought, you read it. It can help you erase the negative patterns in your mind and replace them with the truth.

By changing your thought patterns, your behaviour will also change. If you do not have a chemical imbalance, but only negative conditioning in your mind, you can easily do this work. However, if you have been conditioned to believe that you are a bad person or unworthy of the love of Allah (swt), you will also want to work on reframing your self-perception. You might want to get counselling for this so that you can have help challenging your distorted self-beliefs and replace them with the truth about who you are as a human being.

Remember, at our core, we are pure as we were born pure and good. Everything that Allah (swt) created is good. It is uncovering the layers of ignorance that we acquire through the years, getting back to this core self where we are pure and learning how beloved we are as created beings of Allah (swt). Realizing this will change your thought patterns and your behaviour's and free you to live for Allah (swt) without becoming obsessive or compulsive. It will strengthen your faith, and you will have protection from the whispers of Shaytan. It is a journey of discovery but well worth the travel. You will get there by putting one foot in front of the other.

Source: All About Waswasa and How to Overcome It | About Islam | About Islam

[Hamza Asadullah]

How Do I Deal with Constant Doubts and Waswasa (Misgivings)?

Doubts and waswasa regarding purification and prayer are very serious matters. Due to their sincerity in their religious practices, people like to adopt caution. But caution in Islam must be understood correctly.

The Correct Understanding of Caution

Caution in Islam is to apply the Prophetic teachings in one’s practice of the religion. To follow the Sunnah (Prophetic way) necessitates knowledge of the Sunnah. Most of what is considered cautious are undue hardships that people put on themselves.

Allah, Most High says, “And Allah has not put on you in the religion any undue hardship.” [Quran; 22:78]

You must deal with these doubts and waswasa by abandoning misunderstood caution and following the Sunnah.

How To Deal With Waswasa

For the one who is constantly in doubt abandoning caution is sometimes the best cure.

“As for the one who is often inflicted with waswasa, it is necessary for them to sever the cause of the waswasa and not to give it any consideration. This is because it is the doing of Shaytan and we have been commanded to oppose him.” [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

Knowledge

The long-term cure for these constant doubts is to seek a deeper understanding of Islamic Knowledge. With knowledge, Shaytan can not deceive you with his whispers and plots. I would advise that you find authentic scholars in you area and study with them a basic text in Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh).

Many Muslims struggle with baseless misgivings (waswasa) and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

OCD is defined as “a common, chronic, and long-lasting disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and/or behaviors (compulsions) that he or she feels the urge to repeat over and over.” [National Institute of Mental Health]

These struggles manifest in troubling thoughts that make everyday life extremely difficult, as well as in doubts concerning purity, prayer, issues concerning marriage and divorce, and more.

The answers below aim to convey the questioners struggling with waswasa and OCD clarity and practical solutions to their inquiries:

https://seekersguidance.org/answers/...ss-misgivings/

[Ghost1987]

Combatting the whispers of shaythan:

http://islamicexorcism.files.wordpre...f-shaytaan.pdf

Alhamdulillah

I have found the answer I have been looking for this waswaas problem all my life
I'm going to thank Allaah with a sajda

It the book described my symptoms...

Subhanallaah!

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